


A Silent Moment

by yungmenace



Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: The Next Generation
Genre: Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Robot/Human Relationships, Strangers to Lovers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-21
Updated: 2020-10-23
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:01:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,948
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26000803
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yungmenace/pseuds/yungmenace
Summary: After being transferred to the Enterprise following the deaths of various members of the engineering crew of the ship, you are worried that you'll just be seen as more fodder for the ongoing metaphorical fire. You learn quickly that is not the case. The members of the Enterprise are battle-scarred and driven, but also empathetic and kind. There's not a single person onboard who wouldn't sacrifice themselves to save another. Even the resident android, Lieutenant Commander Data.
Relationships: Data (Star Trek)/Reader
Comments: 8
Kudos: 53





	1. Inquiry

You had heard stories of what happened to the crews of various starships. Throughout your time in the academy, you always hoped you would never be assigned to one. You focused on skills that would make you valuable in research teams, not in space.

Unfortunately, after an incident took out a large part of the engineering crew of a starship, you and many of your recently graduated classmates were assigned to replace them. Unbeknownst to you, that starship was the most famous, and in some cases infamous, one in Starfleet Command. You were joining the Enterprise. 

There wasn't a single person who hadn't heard tales of the Enterprise, of Captain Jean-Luc Picard and his crew of legendary officers. And you were just a replacement for some engineer who got themselves into a sticky situation they weren't able to get out of. You were sure your fate would be the same.

The day you all arrived on the Enterprise was seemingly uneventful for the remaining crew. You and the rest of the new members were introduced to the crew and shown where you would work and where you would sleep. You were grateful that you were apparently important enough to have your own quarters, while the majority of the new recruits would be in the common quarters. When you and your former classmates met up again, you knew that you had all realized what vessel you were on. 

"Do you think we're going to die like the people before us?" One of the other engineers shakily asked you as you all made your way back to engineering to receive your assignments. You tried to shrug as nonchalantly as you could, but you were terrified. "I hope not."

As your group arrived in engineering, a person you recognized as Lieutenant La Forge began showing each of you to your stations. Part way through, he glanced up at the group of you and back down to his data pad. "There's too many of you. We only needed 3 new engineers..." He mumbled, trying to figure out what went wrong. You looked around to see frantic looks on the faces of many of your colleagues. You personally would be happy to leave the ship.

La Forge looked through his data pad for just a moment more before beginning to dismiss people. You waited for him to say your name, sure that you weren't qualified enough to be part of the Enterprise's crew. But as the group dwindled, you realized you were left with just two others. The Lieutenant sighed in relief. "Okay, now that it's down to just you three, welcome to the Enterprise! You are the most knowledgeable of the officers sent to us, so I figured it would be in our best interests to keep you all around." He explained with a laugh. The other two people left with you were classmates you knew well. Ensigns Dalton Emeryx and Marina Saavi were certainly at the top of your class when you graduated, as were you. It began to make sense why you were there.

The Lieutenant showed you where you would all be working based on the specialties you had each studied at the academy. You would be working in operations, since much of your work centered around bettering the sensors and functions of starships. Emeryx and Saavi were already at work with their new comrades, while La Forge had you wait to be introduced to one of the officers you would be working with.

Sitting at what you assumed would be your station, you observed your new surroundings. It was strange being on such a large ship with so many people. You wondered who this person you would work with could be. Maybe a Vulcan, always focused on the most logical conclusion. Or perhaps a human, with empathy and emotions beyond most other species. You didn't know.

But you weren't expecting who came in with Lieutenant La Forge.

You thought him to be human at first glance, but you quickly dispelled that idea. "Ensign, this is Lieutenant Commander Data. He is our Chief Operations Officer and second officer onboard." You weren't sure how to respond, but you knew you didn't want to offend either of them by staying silent. Standing up from your seat, you stuck out a hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Lieutenant Commander." An inhuman hand grasped yours, shaking it with precision. "Thank you for coming aboard, Ensign. I'm sure your work here will be satisfactory." 

He was definitely an android. You had never met one so advanced before though. He must've been one of the Soong androids you'd heard so much about. You could never keep their names straight, but you were fairly certain this was not the one who had trouble controlling his emotion chip.

The android seemed to be done with introductions and got back to work. La Forge laughed. "Sorry about him, he's not one for long introductions." Data turned around. "Quite the contrary, Lieutenant. But it seems that our new Ensign should first become acquainted with their workspace before getting held up with conversation." 

He was right. You didn't want to waste any more time. Your job was to keep the ship safe and functioning, not to make friends. Although that probably wasn't the best mindset, you were sure that no one on the ship who didn't already know you from the academy wouldn't be interested in getting to know you now. You were all there to do a job. And that was what you would do.

Except...

You couldn't help but notice the android at work. He was incredibly human, but at the same time, very obviously not. You wondered if he had an emotion chip too, or if that was deemed too dangerous. You wondered if he had likes and dislikes, if he had friends or even enemies. You wondered if he could experience emotions without even knowing it.

"Ensign, I think it is probable that staring at me will put your efficiency at a disadvantage." His voice was smooth and calming, but it rang through your ears as you were pulled out of what seemed like a daydream. "Oh, excuse me. I'm so sorry, I'll get back to work immediately." You whipped around back to your station and began to work, but couldn't help but feel like someone was now watching you. Turning your head just a bit, you saw Data's yellow eyes focused on you. 

"Lieutenant Commander, is there something I can help you with?" You asked, unsure as to why his focus was now on you. "May I inquire as to why you were staring at me?" You felt your face start to turn pink, not knowing how to respond and becoming embarrassed. "Ah well, I... I've never met an android before. And there's a lot of questions I have about them, but I don't feel it's appropriate for me to ask those questions."

It was almost like you could see the gears turning in Data's head, although you were sure he didn't have gears. "As my subordinate, I believe it is my responsibility to do whatever is necessary to make you feel at ease in your new position here. Ask me whatever you would like." You were almost surprised at how easy-going Data seemed. Before you could ask anything, Data spoke again. "But perhaps we should continue this conversation on our personal time. I will meet you at Ten Forward at 1900 hours and you may ask me any questions you have." And just like that, he went back to work.

The day went by as slow as one would imagine. You were nearly buzzing with excitement as the time to meet Data approached. Stopping at your quarters before heading to Ten Forward, you decided to keep your uniform on, not wanting to misinterpret what was happening. As you walked in, you quickly spotted the android, still wearing his uniform as well. You were glad that you had chosen to stay in yours. He waved you over and you sat across from him at a small table. 

"Hello Ensign. I'm glad you've decided to join me." You let out a small laugh. "I do not believe I've said anything humorous. Why have you laughed?" You shook your head. "Nothing, I just found it funny that you were glad I joined you. It's like you want me to invade your privacy with all my questions." Now Data was shaking his head. "You will not be invading my privacy. I am more than willing to speak to you and answer any inquiry you have about me." It almost seemed like he was happy to be spending time with you. "However, I would like to get to know you as you learn more about me."

You were a bit surprised. "Why's that?" Data blinked at you, like he didn't understand your question. "As colleagues who will be working close together, I believe it to be necessary to know and understand each other. To do so, I must also ask you questions." You leaned back in your seat to get a better look at Data. "Well then, why don't we get started? Ask away."

"Where did you grow up?" 

"On Earth, in San Francisco. My parents worked at Starfleet Command so I never left the city until I graduated from the academy a little while ago. Do you have any friends?"

"I have many people onboard who I consider friends. Lieutenant La Forge, Counselor Troi, Dr. Crusher... I consider them all to be my friends. What kind of activities do you enjoy?"

"I like to read, especially new scientific reports from across the Federation. I also enjoy tinkering with electronics and making new and better technology. Do you have an emotion chip?"

"Not presently, although I know there is one that was made for me. Do you have a favorite color?"

"Probably yellow, which is good considering my uniform. Do you understand emotions?"

"I understand that many species experience emotions, and that they have causes. However, I cannot experience those same emotions. Have you ever had a romantic partner?"

"I--" That question seemed out of place. But you said that you'd answer his questions if he answered yours. "Yes, I have."

"What were they like?" Data continued questioning you before you could ask him anything else. "He was... Well honestly, he was a lot like you, from what I've seen from you. He had trouble expressing his feelings, but he was also very accommodating to others. He also looked a lot like you."

"I assume he was not an android." You shook your head. "No, he was a human. He was just tall with dark hair, very handsome." As soon as you realized what you said, you slapped a hand over your mouth. "You think that I'm handsome?" Data asked, blinking at you. "Well, objectively you have traits that many people would consider handsome, so the most logical conclusion would be... that you're handsome." You explained, getting quieter as you spoke.

The android seemed confused. "You are exhibiting signs of embarrassment. Is there a reason you are feeling this way?" You rubbed your temples, trying to figure out how to explain to him that telling your brand new commanding officer that you found them attractive was embarrassing. "It's just not very appropriate for a subordinate to speak to their commander that way. And it's a bit embarrassing to admit that you find someone attractive without meaning to."

He was still staring at you, blinking like he was trying to refresh his sensors. "I do not believe I understand. Is it not a compliment to call someone attractive?" You leaned back in your chair, realizing that it was more difficult than you thought it would be to explain emotions to someone who couldn't experience them. "It is, but it's a bit awkward to call someone that when you're not dating them or you've just met them, like you and I." 

"Ah. So what you're saying is that you would only find me handsome if you and I were in a romantic relationship." Your eyes went wide. "N-no, that's not it! I do find you handsome, but it's strange to call someone that if you're not dating them."

Data sat in silence for a moment, and you were worried that you had offended him before you remembered that it was unlikely that he could feel offense. "Interesting. I would like to continue meeting with you, Ensign. You have an interesting perspective on interaction and I would enjoy learning more from you." At this, he stood up and looked at you. "Tomorrow, we will meet here again at the same time, if you agree." You nodded, unsure of the best thing to say. "Then I will see you tomorrow in engineering, and then at Ten Forward. Good night, Ensign."

And just like that, he was gone. You were left sitting at the table in amazement at the conversation you had just been a part of. Data, despite being what most considered to be a non-sentient emotionless creation, was the most intriguing person you had ever met. 

Maybe you could make a friend or two onboard.


	2. Attraction

Every day that you spent on the Enterprise, you learned something new. Whether it was about the daily functions of a starship, different species across the galaxy, or even your new companion Lieutenant Commander Data, there was always something that surprised you and in some cases, scared you. 

The fact that there was so much life outside of the world that you knew was terrifying. Whenever the Enterprise's crew was sent to make contact with a colony that was undocumented in the Federation, you were filled with anxiety. Mostly for those who went to the surface, but also for yourself and everyone onboard. None of you knew how the people on the surface would react to you. There was always a chance that they would be hostile and attack. 

And for some reason, you would always get more anxious when you heard Data was going to the surface. He had come back every time he went down, but no matter what, there was a nagging feeling in the back of your head that he might not. You didn't know why that bothered you.

The two of you had only known each other for a few weeks. You had met him every single day since your first day on the ship at Ten Forward and spoken for hours on end about your life as a human and his as an android. You would even consider him a friend, although you didn't know if he felt the same. You knew at this point that he had friends and you were curious if he felt that way about you.

At 19:00, you met with Data as per usual. He was there before you arrived and waved you over. The pair of you had formed a routine. You would chat a bit during work and then meet at Ten Forward. He was always there before you and seated at the same table. You would sit across from him. At this point, he knew exactly what you liked to drink and had already ordered it for you.

You looked forward to your meetings with him. Your conversations had gone from being about simple things, like favorite colors and songs and what it's like to be a human or an android. But now, the two of you talked like old friends. He would recall things you'd told him before and bring them up when it was pertinent to the current topic. He would tell you about things that he learned about that he thought you might enjoy or be interested in. He was more human than most of the people you had worked with before. 

"You seem quiet today, Ensign. Is something on your mind?" Data pulled you out of your thoughts and you smiled at him. "I was just wondering if you considered us to be friends." You expected Data to have to think about his answer but he surprised you with an immediate response. "Of course I do. I have become accustomed to your presence and our daily meetings." You were shocked that he was so sure about how your friendship. "Do you consider me a friend?"

You didn't have to think either. "Yeah, I do. You're the first person onboard who's made an effort to get to know me. And I like spending time with you." Data nodded, as if in agreement. "Can I ask you something, Data?" He nodded again. "Is it... strange if I get worried whenever you're part of the away team on missions?"

For the first time since you'd known him, Data seemed stumped. "I do not know. I've seen others become anxious when someone they care about deeply leaves for the surface of a new planet, but I've never experienced that myself. Do you care deeply for me?"

Now you were the one who was stumped. Data was a lot like the only person outside of your family that you had loved. But he was also your commander, and an android at that. You didn't think you loved him; he was just a friend and one you had only discovered today. "You're important to me." Data blinked and stared at you. "I must leave now." Data stood and began to leave. 'Wait Data, is something wrong?" He didn't answer and just made his way to the lift.

It was strange to see Data leave that quickly without reason. Or at least, you weren't sure of the reason. You thought about what you'd said and couldn't come up with anything that might've made him react that way. 

You contacted Geordi shortly after.

"Lieutenant La Forge? Something happened with Data a little bit ago and I'm a bit worried about him." You spoke into your combadge, hoping Geordi was still awake.

His reply came quickly. "What happened?"

\--

Data made his way out of Ten Forward as quickly as he could after experiencing what he could only describe as a malfunction. 

As you spoke to him, he could feel his body warming up, more than his regulated temperature. And as soon as you said that he was important to you, he felt something like electricity whirring in his head. It was nothing like he had ever experienced before and he didn't know what caused it. The only variable in that situation he could rule out as a possible cause was your presence. But no one else had ever caused him to react in such a way. 

Making his way to his quarters, he sat down at his desk and began to research possible reasons behind his malfunction. Since androids were still fairly rare in the Federation, there wasn't much about how they react to different situations. 

He looked into what can cause human reactions similar to his own. 

Humans, he discovered, have many reactions to various situations. But the one most similar to his, one like lightning shooting through your body, 

Attraction. Whether platonic, romantic, or sexual, when they realize they have an attraction to another being, humans experience something that feels like sparks travelling through their head and body, precisely like what Data felt when you admitted that he was important to you.

He was confused. As an android, especially one lacking an emotion chip, there shouldn't be a way for him to experience attraction. And up until this day, he hadn't noticed any specific reactions to you.

As he continued to read about human attraction, he learned that many times, the realization is sudden and unexpected. A human may see someone as a friend but after a single event or conversation with them, they may see them completely differently. Much like what occurred with you. 

Data contemplated all of this new information for a moment. He thought about how much he had learned about you and your life, and how much you now knew about him. It would make sense that one of you might experience an attraction to the other. But it made more sense to him if that had been you and not him. 

But based on his findings, it seemed Data was not experiencing a malfunction, but his first attraction. And he believed it was romantic in nature.

\--

"So he just left?" Geordi was pacing your quarters, trying to figure out what happened to Data. "Yeah, we were talking, like I said, and then he just got up and left." Geordi stopped walking and sat down on the couch next to you. "What did you say before he left?"

You thought back to your conversation. "We were talking about how some of the crew gets anxious when people they care about go down for missions on the surface, and I told him I felt that way about him but I wasn't sure why. He asked if I cared deeply about him and I told him he was important to me. Then he left." Geordi sighed and mumbled a bit under his breath. "That doesn't sound like something that would cause him to malfunction or anything like that. I think the best thing in this situation would be to talk to him. But maybe I should talk to him first so he doesn't get freaked out by you again." He laughed a bit, but there was no humor. 

"That's probably a good idea." You said sadly, knowing it meant you wouldn't be able to see Data until this was figured out. But you didn't want to make him malfunction further and possibly keep him from performing his duties onboard. 

Geordi placed a hand on your shoulder and you looked up at him. "Hey, this'll all get figured out. No need to worry." His kindness was unexpected, but you were more than happy to accept it.

You were beginning to see that Data wasn't your only friend on the Enterprise.


	3. Discovery

It didn't take long for the rest of the crew to notice that Data was acting strangely. He would leave rooms at seemingly random times, he appeared to be unfocused during missions and when he was on duty, and he just wasn’t his normal self. 

No one, other than Geordi and yourself, knew what had caused this sudden change. Geordi informed you that the high-ranking officers had a meeting to discuss Data. He had been officially tasked with finding out what was wrong with the android and fixing it. 

“So now it’s basically my job to diagnose Data and help him out. But since it’s now an official thing, it’s top priority. I might need your help.” You sighed and rubbed the back of your neck. “How would I help?” Geordi proceeded to pull out a data pad and show you his plan to help Data. “Essentially, we’ll need to recreate what caused the initial ‘malfunction’ so I can see what receptors in his head start firing. That’ll help me find the root cause and maybe stop whatever is causing him to act the way he is.”

You sat and thought for a moment. “So would we be telling Data all of this?” Geordi shrugged. “I’m not sure. If his reaction could be changed if he knew it was an experiment, it might be better to keep him in the dark.” He was right; Data knowing could cause an impeded result to the experiment. “Well, I’d be glad to help. It’s not good seeing Data like this.” Geordi nodded in agreement. 

\--

Data couldn’t be around you, at least not until he understood precisely what was happening to him. So when he saw you approaching him in the corridor, he turned in the other direction and started to walk away as fast as he could. But you quickly caught up with him.

“Wait Data, I need to talk to you.” You placed a hand on his shoulder but got a bit of a shock when you did. You brushed it off as static from both of you moving fast. He realized he couldn’t politely escape from this situation so he gave up. “What do you need to talk about?” He asked, despite knowing exactly what it was.

You weren’t sure how to bring up what you needed from him. “It’s just been awhile since we’ve talked and I was wondering… Well, I wanted to know why you’ve been avoiding me.” Data knew you would notice eventually; you were incredibly intuitive. He just hoped he wouldn’t have to explain himself.

“Well, you see, after our last interaction, I noticed some of my systems reacting strangely to your presence. I decided it would be wise to limit our communication until I could figure out what was malfunctioning.” So he had connected his reaction to you as well. “Data, you could’ve told me about it. I would’ve done my best to help you.”

He was quiet for a moment. “I have not fixed the problem yet. I would appreciate any help I could get.” You put a hand on his arm. “I would be happy to help you. And I’m sure Geordi would be willing to help as well.” Data nodded. “I think it would be prudent of us to speak to him now.” 

The two of you made your way to Geordi’s quarters and you alerted him to your presence before entering. “So change of plans. Data already knew about his malfunctions and connected it with me. We’re going to have to figure out how to do your experiment.” Data looked at you as you spoke. “Have the two of you already discussed this?” Geordi stood from his chair. “We noticed you acting strangely and were trying to figure out the best way to help you. We thought it would be best to replicate the situation that caused the malfunction, and to do so, you would have to be unaware.” 

You still couldn’t read Data, but he seemed to understand. “If we could erase your memory of discovering the malfunction, I think we could recreate it, but-” Data shook his head. “No, that will not work.” He didn’t continue. “But Data, that’s the only way for us to do this and figure out what caused the issue. What’s the problem with that?” You had never noticed any nervous ticks in Data, but at the moment, he was wringing his hands. 

“The problem is that I do not wish to forget my discovery of the malfunction.” You and Geordi shared a confused glance. “Data…” You started, and he waved a hand at you. “I cannot explain. But I will not give up that memory.” Geordi sighed. “I guess we could look through your database and try to find the moment when the malfunction happened, but that might take a while. I also wouldn’t be able to recreate the malfunction to be sure of what’s causing it. But I suppose it’ll work.” Data nodded in thanks.

Geordi sat down at a console and motioned for Data to come over. After a few minutes of plugging him in and getting some machinery set up, Geordi got to work. He seemed very focused, so you sat down next to Data. He glanced over at you, and then quickly looked back to Geordi. “How long do you think this will take, Lieutenant?” It took Geordi a second to realize Data had asked him a question. “Oh, well, it could take a few hours, maybe a day or two. Just depends on how easy it is to…” He trailed off, eyes glued to the screen. “Geordi?” You asked, hoping to regain his attention. 

“I found it. It was a huge spike in your functions just a little while ago, and it hasn’t gone down much since then.” He said, finally looking up at Data. “What were you doing a week ago around 19:00?” That time sounded too familiar. You swallowed roughly, hoping maybe there was something else Data had done around that time. 

Wringing his hands again, Data glanced at you. “I was… With the ensign at Ten Forward, discussing friendship and emotions.”

The room was uncomfortably silent. “Well, that’s when the malfunction happened.” Geordi turned to you. “Do you remember doing or saying anything that might have caused it?” You shook your head. “I already told you everything that happened that night when I called you last week.” Geordi scratched his head. “Data, do you remember anything?” 

If an android could blush, you were sure that’s what Data would be doing. In fact, you could’ve sworn his face heated up just enough that his slightly golden skin turned a light pink. “I would rather speak about this privately.” Geordi looked like he was about to lose it. “Data, I’ve been tasked with figuring out this problem by the captain. I need you to tell me what you know.”

Data seemed to be weighing his options, before he apparently chose to give in. “I remember talking about whether the ensign caring about me was strange or not, and then she told me that I was very important to her. That’s when I believe the malfunction occurred.” He paused. “I did some of my own research about what my reaction might have been afterwards. Humans have reactions similar to mine when they experience romantic attraction.” 

You couldn’t help but gasp. It was such a cliche reaction and you felt so stupid. But as soon as Data explained that he believed he had experienced an attraction to you, suddenly, you understood. You cared about him, you worried about him, and he was important to you because you felt the same way.


	4. Mutuality

“Data, you can’t experience attraction, let alone romantic attraction.” Geordi said, seeming more and more confused about what was happening. You were still silent, save for your gasp, and Data looked to you, looking for some kind of further reaction.

He started to unplug himself from Geordi’s equipment. “I am aware of this, Lieutenant. However, all signs point to that being the cause of my malfunction.” He sounded almost frustrated, as if Geordi wasn’t taking him seriously. 

Standing up from his seat, Data looked to you once more, but you still didn’t know what to make of the situation. He looked away and moved to the door. “Wait, Data, we haven’t fixed anything yet.” He didn’t even respond to Geordi as he left the room.

The lieutenant sighed, rubbing his temples. “For an android, he can be pretty human sometimes.” He grumbled under his breath, and you couldn’t help but laugh. It had been a bit of a tense situation and Geordi’s reaction was just funny enough to break the tension. “What should we do? The captain isn’t going to be happy that we didn’t fix the problem.” Geordi shrugged. “I don’t know. I can’t force Data to come back and I can’t think of any way to help him without him being here and cooperating with me. He’s really attached to that memory.” 

Yes, that memory. It almost made you blush thinking of how protective Data had been of it. Then you had a thought. “What if… I tried to help him by myself? He might react better if it’s just me and him, if he really does think he’s attracted to me.” You weren’t sure if he really was, but you thought it best to treat it as a hypothetical for now. “We don’t have any better ideas so, sure. Do what you can, but try not to make it worse, okay?” The two of you laughed, but there was a seriousness behind Geordi’s request. You both could get in serious trouble if the situation got any worse, and neither one of you wanted to deal with those repercussions. 

“I’ll do my best.” You shared a nod with the lieutenant before leaving to find Data. 

\--

Data had a hard time understanding human emotions and reactions. Embarrassment, frustration, love, and many more confounded him. He felt it was his one shortcoming as an officer. But back in Geordi’s room, he’d experienced more emotions all at onche than he’d ever felt in his existence. 

Fear, when Geordi wanted to erase what he had come to consider a precious memory.

Frustration, when he was forced to explain why he wanted to keep that memory.

Embarrassment, when he admitted that he was attracted to you with you in the room.

Sadness, when you had little to no reaction to his admission.

He just wanted to hide in his room and never come out again. But that wasn’t possible. He would be ignoring his primary duties and failing the rest of the crew. 

Walking quickly down the hall to his quarters, he decided he would tell the captain about his malfunction himself and ask for some time to fix it. Although he didn’t know how he would fix it, he was hoping the time by himself would enlighten him.

Before he could even make it to his room, you had caught up with him. You were out of breath, like you had run as fast as you could to meet him. He told himself he didn’t want to see you or talk to you, but as soon as he actually saw you, he knew that wasn’t true.

“Data, I’m sorry about what happened back there.” You huffed out, trying to catch your breath. He waited for you to be alright before responding. “I should apologize as well, it was unprofessional of me to think I was attracted to you.” He had decided that maybe pretending the attraction didn’t exist might make it go away.

Your breath caught in your throat. So he hadn’t actually been attracted to you. You had been planning to tell him how you felt, but if he didn’t feel the same, it wouldn’t make sense to tell him. “Oh, well… That’s fine. I was just thinking we should talk. We’ve gotten to know each other pretty well, and I might be able to help figure out what the malfunction really was, without any tech or anything.”

Data could’ve sworn you sounded sad, though he was never good at detecting tone. “Perhaps. I am not sure what it will accomplish, but I do think it would be nice to make up for the time I was avoiding you.” He said, continuing the walk to his quarters. “Where are we headed?” You asked, knowing Ten Forward was in a different direction.

“I had planned to spend some time in my quarters, so that is where I am going.” You were going to his room, apparently. You’d never been inside his room, so you were interested in what it looked like. But then you realized you were going to his room. You didn’t know if he realized any of the implications of that, but you assumed he didn’t and just tried to be casual about it. 

He went through a door into what you figured was his room and waited for you to follow. You already knew this was going to be strange, and even more so now that you had to hide that you had an unreciprocated attraction to him. 

Sitting down on a small couch in the room, Data patted the cushion next to him. You sat, but not right next to him, already feeling uncomfortable. His room looked about like you expected, fairly plain with just the necessities, despite him not needing a bathroom or food. You wondered if he used the different appliances in his room to feel more human. 

“I do apologize for avoiding you. I understand now that I should have just approached you about the problem, and we could have solved it a bit faster without it affecting my work.” He said, and you nodded. “It’s alright, Data. It makes sense that you would want to figure it out on your own.”

He tilted his head, much like a confused puppy. “Why do you say that?” You paused, unsure of how to answer. “Well, you’re the type of… person who likes to fix things and prove your usefulness by doing it by yourself.” You hesitated before saying person, not knowing how he would respond to that kind of language being used to describe him. Oddly enough, he seemed to appreciate it. “I suppose I am. I had never noticed that, but it appears you know me better than I know myself.” As he glanced over at you, you hoped he wouldn’t the fairly obvious blush forming across your features.

Of course, he did anyways.

“Ensign, your face is flushed. Do you need water? Or medical attention?” You shook your head. “No, I’m fine.” Again, he had that confused look on his face. “Then what…” He trailed off, instead choosing to look at your face. 

“Data?” 

He was quiet, yellow eyes focused on your features. “I am going to try something.” You blinked, thinking he would continue, maybe explain what he intended on doing, but instead he just moved closer to you on the couch, filling the gap you had left. You felt your face heating up even more as contact was made between the two of you, his leg pressing against yours.

It was so childish, you thought to yourself, to be blushing because someone’s leg was against yours. It was even more ridiculous that you were acting this way over someone who had openly said they were not attracted to you, and that saying they had been attracted to you had been a mistake.

And yet, as you felt Data’s eyes look over your face, you couldn’t help but think that he had lied. It wasn’t in his programming to allow him to lie to a fellow crewmate, but he was so close to you, watching you so intently. The room was silent, save for the hum of the ship. 

You were the first to break the silence.

“Data, I-” Before you could even say anything, before you could admit the real reason why you were blushing, why you were silent in Geordi’s room when Data confessed his feelings, he had looped his arm around your side, his hand resting on your back, and he was pulling you close to him. His face was just inches from yours.

Was he going to do it? He seemed frozen, like he couldn’t move even if he wanted to. It looked like you were going to have to take initiative.

You closed the gap, pressing your lips against his. They were warmer than you expected, much more human than you would’ve thought. At first he didn’t move, and you were worried you’d done something wrong and were getting ready to back away. He must’ve felt your new hesitance, because he tightened his arm around you before you had a chance to pull away. You stayed like this for just a second more before you had to move back to breathe. He must’ve forgotten that you needed to breathe. 

You didn’t even have the chance to say anything before he was pulling you back in once you had caught your breath. His free hand moved to your other side, slowly moving up to rest on the side of your face, fingers tangled in your hair as his thumb stroked your skin.

He seemed oddly well-practiced in this, and you made a mental note to ask about it later. He let you pull away again when you needed to breathe, and didn’t pull you back immediately this time.

“Was that okay?” Data asked, letting his hands drop back to his own lap. You were dumbfounded. You had kissed him first, of course it was okay!

You didn’t want to stay quiet for too long, not wanting to give him the wrong idea. “It was more than okay. But I thought you said you weren’t attracted to me?” You said, half-teasing but also a bit confused. He shook his head. “I never said I was not attracted to you. I said it was unprofessional of me to think I was, when in truth, I knew I was.” So there was a loophole. He hadn’t technically lied to you, thus keeping in line with his protocol. You couldn’t help but laugh. “I honestly thought you weren’t after what you said.” 

Something that was almost a smirk appeared on Data’s face. “Perhaps I should be an actor then, if I was so convincing.” You poked him in the arm. “Well, you stopped being convincing when you almost made me suffocate. Not that I minded.” 

Data’s eyes widened. “I had heard that was something some humans enjoyed but-” You quickly realized what he thought you meant. “No, no! I mean I just enjoyed kissing you so much that I didn’t mind having to hold my breath a little longer than what I’m used to.” His face returned to a relaxed state. “Oh. That makes more sense.”

The android was quiet. He must’ve been thinking. He had a look on his face that you recognized from when you would ask him hard questions at your meetings at Ten Forward.

“Does this mean my attraction is reciprocated?” You could almost melt. He was doing his very best to make sure he understood the situation and didn’t mess anything up. “Yes, it is.” 

For the first time in a while, you saw Data smile. He was looking down at his hands, folded neatly in his lap, as his lips pulled into a soft smile. It was nice to see that again. 

You assumed that was the end of that, and were about to move to leave, before you felt a hand around your wrist. 

“Can we kiss again?”


End file.
